ROCHESTER — A fire behind Lydall Industries shut down southbound traffic along the Spaulding Turnpike late Thursday afternoon just as the daily commuter rush began.

Firefighters responded to a small structure fire behind the factory that turned into a brush fire just after 3 p.m. The fire spread toward the turnpike. At one point, firefighters were trying to keep the blaze from jumping the road. The fire was contained by about 3:45 p.m. The fire began in an abandoned house on Lydall's property, about an acre and a half behind the factory. The company had recently cleared the house out to be torn down. There were several calls to report the fire, including one from the tower on Blue Job Mountain, but the initial call came in at 3:08 p.m. from Lydall. The house was quickly enveloped and completely destroyed. Deputy Chief Fran Zombeck said the wind and dry brush surrounding the structure made it a high risk for spreading. Flames spread to nearby trees and even touched the edge of the highway.

The fire began in an abandoned house on Lydall's property, about an acre and a half behind the factory. The company had recently cleared the house out to be torn down. There were several calls to report the fire, including one from the tower on Blue Job Mountain, but the initial call came in at 3:08 p.m. from Lydall. The house was quickly enveloped and completely destroyed.

Deputy Chief Fran Zombeck said the wind and dry brush surrounding the structure made it a high risk for spreading. Flames spread to nearby trees and even touched the edge of the highway. Many surrounding towns reported to the two-alarm fire including Farmington, Dover, Barrington, Somersworth, Durham, and Lebanon and South Berwick, Maine.

Coverage at the stations was provided by Farmington, Dover, and Rochester.

The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation. There were no injuries reported.